Assessing cockle shells (Anadara granosa) for reconstruction subdaily environmental parameters: Implication for paleoclimate studies

This study aims to investigate the potential of cockle shells as an environmental recorder, examining the environmental factors controlling the shell growth of the intertidal Anadara granosa from west coast of Malaysia. Subdaily environmental factors were recorded from December 2011 to November 2012. A total of 600 individuals were collected on a monthly basis and the shells sectioned from umbo to ventral margin, polished, etched and photographed under a light microscope to observe microgrowth bands and increments. Comparison of correlation matrix between mean increment width and each environmental factor indicated that shell growth had the highest positive correlation with seawater temperature (+0.72) and weak positive correlation with salinity (+0.53). Multiple regression analysis was used to assess independent associations between shell mean increment width and environmental parameters. Study model showed that 60.8% of the variation in shell growth could be explained by temperature, salinity, rainfall and tidal change. Individually, temperature and salinity made the greatest unique contribution to explain shell growth, respectively (p < 0.01). Laboratory results showed shell growth was in a linear trend to optimum temperature and salinity. These findings provide a basis for the interpretation of the temporal changes in shell microgrowth patterns in terms of environmental conditions of cockle shells.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of technetium-99m labeled galactose derivatives as potential asialoglycoprotein receptor probes in a hepatic fibrosis mouse model

Two galactose derivatives, a monovalent ^99mTc-MAMA-MGal galactoside and a divalent ^99mTc-MAMA-DGal galactoside, were synthesized and radiolabeled in high radiochemical purity (>98%). Dynamic microSPECT imaging and biodistribution study of two traces in normal and liver fibrosis mice showed that the ^99mTc-MAMA-DGal revealed higher specific binding to asialoglycoprotein receptors in liver and then rapidly excreted via both hepatobiliary system and renal clearance. The results suggest that ^99mTc-MAMA-DGal may be used as SPECT probes for noninvasive evaluation of asialoglycoprotein receptor-related liver dysfunction.     

弗氏柠檬酸菌1,3-丙二醇合成的代谢工程研究

【目的】研究弗氏柠檬酸菌(Citrobacter freundii) 1,3-丙二醇合成的代谢过程。【方法】构建甘油脱氢酶基因GSR-lacZ、1,3-丙二醇氧化还原酶基因PDO-lacZ和甘油脱水酶基因GL-lacZ等报告基因。在此基础上,构建3个相应的转座子突变文库。【结果】筛选到6株突变子,其相应关键酶表达水平提高1?11倍,1,3-丙二醇产量提高幅度为3%?50%。对转座子插入位点分析显示,5株突变子插入位点均为β-内酰胺酶(CKO_02592)编码基因,1株突变子插入位点为二氢硫辛酰胺基转移酶(CKO_02433)编码基因。进一步分析发现,β-内酰胺酶基因突变显著提高甘油脱水酶和甘油脱氢酶的表达水平,而1,3-丙二醇氧化还原酶表达水平没有变化;二氢硫辛酰胺基转移酶基因突变显著提高1,3-丙二醇氧化还原酶表达水平,其他两种关键酶基因表达水平不变。【结论】β-内酰胺酶和二氢硫辛酰胺基转移酶基因能够分别影响1,3-丙二醇合成代谢途径关键酶的表达,为构建工程菌株打下基础。     

Sea cucumbers of the genus Stichopus Brandt, 1835 (Holothuroidea,Stichopodidae) in Straits of Malacca with description of a new species

Five sea cucumber species including one new species of the genus Stichopus are reported from the shallow coral reefs of Straits of Malacca. The new species Stichopus fusiformiossa has unusual fusiform spicules in the tentacles, which are not found in the other species of the genus. Pseudo-tables and large perforated plates are newly recorded for Stichopus hermanni Semper, 1868 and Stichopus vastus Sluiter, 1887, respectively.     

Mitochondrial DNA evidence of southward migration of Manchus in China

The Northeast area of China is a cross region between East Asia and Siberia. Although five populations from this area have been studied in maternal lineage, little is known about the genetics of other populations. In this study, forty-seven Manchu individuals were analyzed using a mitochondrial DNA marker, and fourteen mitochondrial DNA haplogroups, the representative haplogroups of east Eurasian, were identified. All analyses showed that Manchu were close to the neighboring populations such as Mongolian, Korean and northern Han Chinese, and were far from the other populations who lived in the cradle of Manchu, suggesting that the Manchu integrated gradually with natives following its southward migration.     

松口蘑深层发酵工艺的研究

对松口蘑深层发酵工艺进行系统研究。通过正交试验初步确定松口蘑适宜的培养基组成 :玉米粉 30g,葡萄糖 1 0g ,豆饼粉 1 0g ,玉米浆 1 0g ,KH₂ PO₄1g ,定容至 1L。适宜发酵条件 :最适生长温度为 2 5℃ ,摇瓶转速为 1 60r/min ,最适pH为 5 0 ,最适接种量为 1 0 % ,装液量 1 2 0mL/ 5 0 0mL摇瓶培养 1 0d ,菌体生物量达 1 2 94g/L。     

Characteristics and mechanism of neutrophil-mediated cytostasis induced by tumor necrosis factor

After being treated with rTNF, polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were highly suppressive to the growth of four different tumor target cells, Raji, K562, UCLA-SO-M14, and U937. Neutralizing TNF with specific antibodies before PMN were treated blocked induction of the anti-proliferative activity against Raji. However, after PMN were exposed to TNF the cytostatic activity could not be reversed by the antibody or by washing off TNF, indicating that the continuous presence of TNF was not required for expression of the anti-proliferative function. Addition of the hydrogen peroxide (HP) scavenger, catalase, at the beginning of the assay inhibited the cytostatic activity, suggesting that HP was involved in suppressing the tumor cell growth. In contrast, other reactive oxygen species inhibitors such as superoxide dismutase, sodium azide, L-methionine, or deferoxamine did not inhibit the cytostasis. HP alone at above 10 microM was cytostatic to Raji cells. The presence of TNF did not increase the sensitivity of Raji to HP. TNF activated PMN to produce HP but the amount of HP released in the culture supernatant was too low for direct cytostasis. PMN also became more adherent after TNF treatment. Therefore, the TNF-induced cytostasis may be mediated by local high concentrations of HP produced by PMN.     

Paclitaxel production using co-culture of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Taxus</Emphasis> suspension cells and paclitaxel-producing endophytic fungi in a co-bioreactor

The co-culture of the suspension cells of Taxus chinensis var. mairei and its endophytic fungi, Fusarium mairei, in a 20-L co-bioreactor was successfully established for paclitaxel production. The co-bioreactor consists of two-unit tanks (10 L each) with a repairable separate membrane in the center, culturing Taxus suspension cells in one tank and growing fungi in another. By optimizing the co-culture conditions, there was a desirable yield of paclitaxel in Taxus cell cultures. The Taxus cell cultures by co-culture produced 25.63 mg/L of paclitaxel within 15 days; it was equivalent to a productivity of 1.71 mg/L per day and 38-fold higher than that by uncoupled culture (0.68 mg/L within 15 days). The optimum conditions for co-culture in the co-bioreactor were: B5 medium, inoculating fungi when Taxus cells had grown for 5 days in the co-bioreactor, hydrophilic separate membrane in the center of the co-bioreactor, and air flow rate of 1:0.85 v/v/m in fungus cultures.     

无柄新乌檀中的三萜

采用活性跟踪的方法对无柄新乌檀(Neonauclea sessilifolia (Roxb．)Merr．)枝干的乙醇提取物进行结核杆菌活性检测。利用硅胶柱层析、Sephadex-LH20和反相硅胶RPl8柱层析,从具有活性的乙酸乙酯部分分得9个化合物,利用一维、二维核磁共振技术(HMQC,HMBC)并结合质谱与红外光谱,将它们鉴定为3β,15α,21β,23-tetrahydroxy-12-oleanen-28-oic acid(1)、3β,6α,21β,23-tetrahydroxy-12-oleanen-28-oic acid(2)、单皮酚(3)、3,4-二羟基苯甲酸(4)、东茛菪内酯(5)、葸醌大黄酚(6)、5,7-二羟基-2-甲基吡喃酮(7)、β-谷甾醇(8)和^5.22 △-豆甾醇-β-D-葡萄糖苷(9)。其中化合物1和2是两个新化合物。体外抗结核杆菌试验表明,化合物6对结核杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis(Zopf)Lehmannet Neumann)具有一定的抑制效果,用量在25μg时出现抑菌圈：化合物2与4具有微弱的抑制活性。     

Lysosome rich cells contain the lytic activity of lymphokine-activated killer cell populations

Summary Little is known regarding the effectors of lymphokine-activated killer activity. Lysosomotropic agents such as quinacrine can be used to positively sort for lysosome rich cells in natural killer (NK) cell populations. We therefore decided to use this agent to sort lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells to characterize their lysosomal content. We found that the positively sorted population contained all the LAK activity, i.e., lysis of NK-resistant tumor cells (B16 melanoma cell line), with the negatively sorted cells having no killing activity. Therefore separation of interleukin-2-incubated cells for LAK activity could be accomplished using sorting after quinacrine staining. The treatment of positively sorted LAK cell populations with L-leucine methyl ester, a lysosomotropic dye which inhibits killing by lysosome rich cells, caused abrogation of killing of the B16 tumor by the treated populations. Single cell conjugate assays were also done on these sorted cells, with positively sorted cells forming the highest and negatively sorted cells the lowest percent of conjugates. Our data therefore indicates the important role of lysosome rich cells in the LAK cell population in the murine system.This work was supported by NIH grants R01 CA42962 and K04 CA0122, and by intramural funds from the Norris Cancer Center